Highest bidder
I lay in the woods, my body weak and exhausted, my legs aching like weights were tied to them. My throat was dry, and my head throbbed in pain, as if a thousand drums were beating inside my skull. I tried to stand, but my legs trembled beneath me, refusing to support my weight as the sound of hooves grew louder.
The memories of my past flooded my mind, haunting me like a ghost.
I remembered the very first visit my parents paid to the palace.It wasn't like any ordinary visit anyone would pay to the palace or the king. I was foolish enough to think it was a great privilege for my parents to pay a visit to the palace, but what I didn't know was that, that very day marked the beginning of the countdown to my doom.
As I lay there, I thought about my parents and how they had betrayed me, their faces etched in my mind like a bitter memory. My mom's expressionless mask and my dad's cold, hard stare.
I remember how they turned away from me, their eyes avoiding mine as they discussed my fate like I was a mere object.
They were supposed to protect me, but instead, they sold me to the highest bidder. I clenched my fists, my eyes burning with tears as I remembered their betrayal.
I still recall every single thing that transpired on that fateful day. Every word they said still shattered my heart over and over again. It felt like a sharp knife kept piercing into my heart, over and over again, making the day unforgettable. Even now, their words still echoed in my head; it felt like I could hear them again and again. I kept trying to push it out of my head, to forget, but it was just impossible as the memories flashed through my head.
"Ella, my dear, the king wants to marry you." My mom's voice echoed in my mind, her words dripping with deceit. "What?..." I had replied, my eyes flying open like I had just seen a ghost. To every ordinary girl, this would be great news, but for me, it wasn't. Not even in the slightest.
"Yes, my dear, he said he really likes you, and this time around, he isn't marrying you because of power or to gain allies." My mom's voice was like a dagger to my heart. "I've always known you will bring good luck into our lives. Right, Samson?" She turned to my dad, who was smiling brightly, his eyes gleaming with greed.
"Yes, my love, this daughter of ours truly is good luck." He had replied, his voice dripping with hypocrisy.
If the king wants to marry me not because of power, then I'm one lucky girl, according to my parents...
They were clearly overjoyed, their eyes, their faces, their body language was enough to show how happy they were.
But I was horrified, extremely horrified.
"Wait a minute... So you mean you accepted the proposal?" I had asked, my voice shaking with anger and disbelief.
My parents faces turned cold, their voices dripping with disdain as they spoke in unison, "Yes, of course." Their voices like a death sentence, sending a chill down my spine.
"Mom... Dad... How could you accept such a proposal? Oh my God... Mom, the king is already close to fifty-eight years old, and I'm just nineteen. He has four wives already, uncountable mistresses, and eleven children, some even older than I am. Yet you want me to marry him just because he's a king?" I had said, my voice rising in desperation.
"What do you mean by that? What's wrong with it?" My mom had asked, her face etched with confusion, her voice dripping with innocence. "Listen here, Ella; the king really likes you a lot. He's not marrying you for power or to gain allies. You should be happy he chose you. He'll be sending lots of gifts, jewelry, and many other things over this evening. You know what? Forget about the age difference, his wives, mistresses, or children. Forget about it all and marry him." Her words had made my blood boil.
I couldn't believe such words were coming out of her mouth. My very own mother's mouth.
"I can't believe such words are coming out of your mouth, Mom. Am I such a burden to you that you'll just sell me off to the king because that's what you're doing? Come to think of it, Mom; I'm just a commoner, so why would he want to marry me out of the blue?" I had asked almost raising my voice to them. "I won't marry the king, Mom, I won't marry a man who's old enough to be my dad. I just won't." I protested, turning my back to my parents.
Just then, I felt a strong grip on my hand, turning me around to face where my parents were standing, and something hard struck my face. It was my dad; he had slapped me across the face.
"You'll marry the king whether you want to or not. Your opinion doesn't matter anymore; now go up to your room and sit there quietly." My dad shouted at me.
With disbelief and teary eyes, I ran to my room, buried my face in my pillow, and cried.
The king was old enough to be my father and the thought of marrying him, the thought of sharing the same bed with him, the thought of him touching me made my skin crawl. I felt like a pawn in a games of power and politics, a mere tool to the king, cause I knew very well I was no match for him.
I had buried my face in my pillow and cried harder.
The sound of horses' hooves echoed outside, and I knew the king's men had arrived. I clearly heard the clicking sound of jewelries and the rustling of fine fabrics as they presented their gift to my parents. The scent of exotic spices and perfume wafted through the air, making my stomach turn. They had even fixed the wedding date to be two months away from now.
The news of my wedding to the king was announced all over the kingdom of Vartish, and soon the neighboring kingdoms got to know about it.
I felt like a prized possession being bought and sold, not a living, breathing person.
Even after a month of making wedding preparations, I begged my parents to reconsider, but they turned a deaf ear.
"Ella, if you want to remain my daughter, you'll do as you're told without any objections." My dad swore at me, his voice firm and unyielding. My mom's expression was blank, her eyes avoiding mine as she busied herself with the wedding preparations.
The king would send gifts to my house more often than I thought, making me parents become more selfish and greedy.
My very own parents didn't stop to think about me, not even once. They had turned a blind eye to my tears, and I couldn't help but cry every night, hoping this nightmare would come to an end, but it didn't. It just didn't want to end. Each and every passing day, I was losing control over my own life.
I felt like a trapped animal, my mind racing with thoughts of escape. I paced back and forth in my room, searching for a way out, but every window and door seemed to have lead nowhere. I was a prisoner in my own home, and I knew I had to find a way to break free.
I was desperate to escape, but for that to happen I needed ti know the palace layout like the back of my hand.
I finally decided to pay a visit to the palace a month to my wedding, and convinced the king to let me live in the palace which luckily for me, he agreed to it.
I used the time I had to study the secrets passages and guard's routine, my mind racing with plans and possibilities.
Luckily, I befriended a maid who agreed to help me escape. She showed me the secret passage and ensured the guards were asleep, her eyes shinning with a fierce determination. Her encouraging words echoing in my head as I fled the palace.
I opened my eyes back to reality and finally realized that if my very own parents could be that selfish, then I had to be more selfish and save myself.
I managed to make my escape on my wedding day, but now I was lost in the woods, with no idea where to go or what to do. I tried to stand, but my legs gave in, and I fell to the ground again, the impact jolting my head and making my vision blur. I could hear the sound of horses approaching, their hooves pounding the earth like a death knell. I knew I had to move, but my body refused to cooperate. I was trapped, and the royal guards were closing in.
"Did you hear that sound?" one of the royal guards asked, pointing in my direction. "Yes, let's go," the general replied, and they began to ride towards me, their armor glinting in the fading light like a deadly omen. I knew I had to keep moving, but my body felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot.
The guards shouts and the thundering hooves seemed to be closing in on me from all sides, making my breath catch in my throat. I gathered every ounce of strength in me and lifted myself from the ground, and began running. My eyes were fixed on the horizon, and heart was pounding so fast in my chest like it'd pop right out of my ribs. I couldn't let them catch me, not now, not after everything I'd been through.